Cultivating immortality in the seas, I created an immortal island of eternal life.

The setting sun cast its shadows, scattering golden light across the sea.

The small sampan broke through the sea and paddled toward the two adjacent reef islands to the west.

Gao Yao sat with his back to the stern of the boat, rowing slowly and deliberately, occasionally speaking to the two people in front of him to explain things.

"The area to the north is a reef zone with turbulent currents. Unless you are familiar with the waterways, it is best not to go near it."

"In the area to the south where the seaweed grows abundantly, you can occasionally find some valuable shellfish, but you also have to be careful of the spiky crabs that hide among them, disguised as rocks."

From the division of sea areas to the secrets of beachcombing and fishing, what he talked about were all things passed down orally among fishermen, and they were very practical.

Ye Ran sat at the bow of the boat, her back ramrod straight, her hands resting on her knees, curiously surveying the surrounding sea.

Her behavior was not as casual as that of an ordinary fisherwoman; rather, it had a rigid quality.

"Brother Gao," Ye Ran suddenly turned around and asked, "How long have you been here?"

"A little over a month," Gao Yao replied. "Not a long time, but I've gotten used to the rules here."

"Rules?" Ye Ran raised an eyebrow. "What rules? We... don't have that many rules in our village."

"The Yunxiang Sect protects us fishermen, so naturally there are some rules to follow," Gao Yao said in a straightforward tone as he rowed.

"Most importantly, the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl must be carried with you at all times and must not be out of your sight for too long, let alone lost. It is a talisman bestowed by the Immortal Sect. Without it, you will be attacked by monsters within ten miles of setting sail."

Ye Ran nodded, subconsciously touching the beads hanging around her neck: "The immortal masters emphasized this on the way here."

"Secondly, the Dinghai tax must be paid on time every month," Gao Yao continued.

"The amount will be determined based on fishing capacity and the size of the reefs and islands under our jurisdiction. We will inform you of the specific number later."

"If payment is overdue, or if it is insufficient for several consecutive months..." He paused, his voice becoming slightly somber, "the Dinghai Pearl will be taken back, and the person will be expelled from the protected sea area."

Ye Zi kept her head down, and when she heard the second half of the sentence, her fingers clenched even tighter. Ye Ran, however, just pursed her lips and remained noncommittal.

Gao Yao glanced at Ye Ran out of the corner of his eye, but saw no fear on her face.

Faced with powerful sects that control life and death, ordinary fishermen are mostly fearful, obedient, and cautious. Even if they have grievances, they would never dare to express them so easily.

"Thirdly," Gao Yao continued calmly, "without permission, you must not approach the main islands of the Immortal Sect, the spiritual vein areas, or certain sea areas marked with restrictions. For daily activities, try to stay near your own reef island. If you need to travel far for important matters, you must report to the Fish Bank."

"Fourth, private fights between fishermen are prohibited. If there is a dispute, it can be reported to the fish market or patrolling disciples for adjudication. But..." Gao Yao's tone turned slightly somber, "If someone dies, the Immortal Sect will punish them severely."

Ye Ran listened attentively, but she was more interested in the sect's intelligence than in learning survival skills.

For example, "Which areas are explicitly prohibited?" and "When and how many disciples usually patrol in a team?"

The sampan arrived first at the reef island assigned to Ye Ran.

This island is slightly larger than Turtle Reef Island, with a wide central area suitable for reclamation, and a larger area of ​​shallow waters around it.

"This is it." Gao Yao secured the boat and reached out to help the other person off the boat.

Ye Ran, however, had already jumped off the boat nimbly and landed steadily.

Gao Yao then pointed to a relatively flat, sheltered spot where there was a slightly dilapidated shack.

"The accommodation is there. Some places are in disrepair and need repair. You can get a basic share of materials at the material yard north of the fish farm. If you don't have enough, you'll have to find a way to get more yourself, or you can exchange them with fish catches or spirit stones."

Ye Ran glanced at the shack, a troubled look on her face, but it was quickly replaced by determination: "Okay, I can handle it myself."

Gao Yao nodded and took a cloth bag from the boat: "Inside are ten catties of sea rice, some sea salt and flint. It's a gift from the Immortal Sect to the newcomers. If you eat it sparingly, you should be able to make it until the first tax payment."

Ye Ran took the cloth bag and casually asked, "When was the first time you paid taxes? Were the taxes heavy?"

"A month later," Gao Yao replied. "It varies from person to person, but the output of this reef island in the west is decent. As long as you work hard, it won't be difficult to meet your quota."

Ye Ran nodded, then suddenly asked, "I heard that a fleet was attacked by monsters a while ago? Many people died?"

The topic shifted a bit abruptly, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be said, so Gao Yao answered truthfully: "The fleet transporting the remains of the Ironclad Xuan Turtle encountered a group of Iron-Wire Silver Sharks."

"Iron-wire Silver Shark..." Ye Ran repeated softly, "This kind of demonic beast usually doesn't approach shallow waters. What did the Immortal Sect say?"

"An accident." Gao Yao remained calm, as if it were none of his business. "In a few days, at the mid-year fishermen's conference, the Immortal Sect will give all the fishermen an explanation and at the same time mobilize them to pay the autumn harvest fish tax."

"A fishermen's convention?" Ye Ran's eyes lit up, and she asked with great interest, "All the fishermen will go? Where will it be held?"

"At Huifan Beach near the main island," Gao Yao looked into the other person's eyes. "It's a rare lively occasion, and some new rules will be announced, officially granting citizenship to newlyweds."

Ye Ran nodded and began to examine the shack, looking ready to get to work: "Thank you, Brother Gao. I can take care of things here myself. You can take Ye Zi to her place first."

She gave the order to leave naturally and decisively, with a commanding tone.

Gao Yao readily agreed and returned to the ship. He glanced at Ye Zi, who had remained silent, and then set sail.

After leaving Ye Ran's reef island for a while, Ye Zi spoke softly, "Sister Ran... she seems... a little different."

Gao Yao turned around and glanced at Ye Zi.

She kept her head down, but her words indicated that she had also noticed Ye Ran's unusual behavior.

"Everyone reacts differently to such a major change," Gao Yao replied vaguely, rowing towards another adjacent reef island.

The island was smaller and had a simpler terrain. The hut was built in a rock hollow, which was a good place to stay to keep out the wind and rain.

"We've arrived." Gao Yao stopped the boat, got off, and then naturally extended his hand.

Ye Zi looked at his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly extended her own cold and slender hand, placing it on his wrist to help her get off the boat.

Her movements were very light, with obvious restraint and aloofness, and her fingertips even trembled slightly.

"This place... is quite nice." Ye Zi looked at the stone hollow, her voice still very soft.

Gao Yao also handed over a relief bag, which Ye Zi accepted with both hands and thanked him softly.

His fingers gripped the cloth bag tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Do you need help with the repairs?"

According to the rules, once you've been taken to the destination and given basic instructions, you can leave.

If a newcomer needs help from an experienced person, they should naturally be given some extra money.

Gao Yao didn't want to cause trouble, but Ye Zi looked so weak and helpless that he couldn't help but ask a question.

"No, no need." Ye Zi quickly shook her head. "I... I'll take my time. I can't trouble Brother Gao any further."

She refused quickly, even somewhat flustered, as if accepting help was something terrible.

But Gao Yao felt that this rejection was not entirely out of cowardice, but more like a distancing from others who did not want to get too entangled with them, which gave rise to a strange sense of agreement.

"Alright then." Gao Yao didn't insist, but gave more detailed instructions on the tasks, "You can mend fishing nets or collect shellfish in shallow waters. You can exchange these for some spirit fragments or necessities at the fish market."

Ye Zi listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time, as if trying hard to remember.

"Remember to attend the mid-year fishermen's conference," Gao Yao reminded them one last time. "All newcomers must attend to officially register and be considered truly accepted. It's also an opportunity to learn about the Immortal Sect and meet other fishermen."

"The conference..." Ye Zi murmured repeatedly, "Brother Gao, will there be a lot of people?"

"All the fishermen, plus some disciples and managers from the Immortal Sect," Gao Yao replied. "It's said there are no fewer than a thousand people; this is my first time participating."

Ye Zi gave a soft "hmm" and didn't ask any more questions, but simply gripped the cloth bag in her hand even tighter.

After giving his instructions, Gao Yao took his leave.

When he rowed the sampan a short distance and looked back, he saw Ye Zi still standing there, quietly watching the direction he had left in.

The sea breeze blew against her thin clothes, outlining her slender figure, making her look so fragile and sad.

Although it wasn't as incongruous as Ye Ran's situation, Gao Yao suddenly felt a sense of unease.

That's perfectly normal.

Gao Yao couldn't find any fault with Ye Zi's performance.

Every reaction, every whispered word, was perfectly timed, perfectly befitting the demeanor of an orphaned girl from a displaced fishing village.

But it was precisely this conformity that made Gao Yao, who had played countless roles in his previous life and observed countless people in his daily life, feel uncomfortable.

The other person's grief was too superficial, even excessive.

While I can't rule out the possibility that it's due to my personality, why would I subconsciously feel pity?

Although Gao Yao was not heartless, he knew that in such a dangerous place, he should put aside unnecessary pity.

An even more terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

Ye Ran's identity is suspicious, her behavior is contradictory, and she seems to have some ulterior motive.

Ye Zi appears delicate, but her performance is actually full of incongruous elements.

Before leaving, Wang Yao specifically instructed Steward Chen to take care of her, and then she was assigned to contact these two obviously problematic newcomers...

Gao Yao felt like crying but had no tears. He just wanted to guard Turtle Reef Island, rely on the Mountain and Sea Token to slowly farm and develop in a low-key manner. Why did trouble always come knocking on his door?

He made up his mind that he would stay away from the two western reef islands unless absolutely necessary.

......